1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user certificate system and method for data broadcasting that requires user certification, in which an easy user certification can be made.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, the term ‘digital broadcasting’ indicates TV broadcasting transmitted in digital systems. The USA determined to employ the digital system in a next generation TV called as ATV (Advanced television). In Europe, there are many on going projects, such as HD DIVINE of Sweden, etc., SPECTRE of UK, DIAMOND of France, and the like. As a next generation TV system interfaced with B-ISDN or a computer network, researches on the digital TV are progressed actively in different countries.
Recently, digitization of TV broadcasting is progressed rapidly.
A stream of digital broadcasting can carry data together, with video and audio signals. The data may be a markup language based, such an HTML of ATVEF (Advanced Television Enhancement Forum), XDML of DASE (Digital TV Application Software Environment), or the like, or Java based, such as Xlet of DASE.
Accordingly, the digital broadcasting can transmit different forms of data other than the video or audio. Many broadcasting stations prepare different data broadcasting services for digital TVs that can receive the digital broadcasting and data broadcasting.
One of features of the digital broadcasting is bidirectional communication. As a result of this, TV watchers (viewers) can make real time participation in the digital broadcasting services.
For example, the TV watchers can both receive and participate in data broadcastings, such as quiz program, home shopping program, poll program in which the TV watchers opinions are taken, and the like, even without using telephones.
In this instance, the broadcasting station which broadcasts data requires the users to be certificated, for providing the users with a feed-back as a consequence of the participation of the users. In the certification of users, the users require to input a user's ID, and password.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate typical screens for the user to input the user ID and a password in certification of user in a related art data broadcasting. In FIG. 1A, input spaces for the user ID and password are arranged in up/down direction, while, in FIG. 1B, input spaces for the user ID and the password are arranged in a horizontal direction.
On the input screen, after the user inputs the user ID, the user moves to the password input space by using a directional key in a digital TV remote control device. Then, the user inputs the password by using keys in the remote control device, and presses a ‘send/key.
The foregoing related art user certificate system requires the user ID with at least five characters, and the password with at least 6˜8 characters. Once, the user sends the user ID and the password to the broadcasting station through the foregoing series of process, the user certificate system in the broadcasting station certificates the user based on the user ID and the password.
However, it is not convenient that the TV watcher is required to go through the foregoing series of process for the certification every time the TV watcher uses the program during the watcher watches the data broadcasting.
Moreover, a long time period is required for the user to input the long user ID and the password by using the remote control device. Particularly, in a case of the home shopping program or the poll program of which participants are mostly middle or mature aged persons, the inconvenience of the middle or mature aged persons who are not used to operation of the remote control device in the related art becomes greater.
Consequently, a method is required for making the data broadcasting active by enhancing participation of the TV watchers in the data broadcasting services.